There is just under a week until the Central West Triathlon hub of Orange will again welcome the best Youth, Junior and U23 athletes to Gosling Creek for the annual Triathlon NSW / Triathlon ACT Super Sprint Race Weekend. This race also doubles up as Round 4 of the Bilgence Pathway Championships Series – a series designed to provide National Level competition to the athletes within the pathway.

This two day event, delivered by Orange Cycling & Triathlon Club (OCTC), is designed to be inclusive of all Junior Triathlon Australia members with skills sessions, a non-drafting super sprint and an aquathlon on the program alongside valuable draft legal racing opportunities for our talented Pathway Development athletes. It is the definition of ‘something for everyone’!

Saturday, November 26^th will see the Mixed Relay Triathlon start the proceedings. This exciting format in triathlon made its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and backed up at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The excitement will intensify for the event as it is a State MR Championship for Youth, Junior and U23 categories.

This event will also be the selection race for the Palladium Property Performance Honorary Team. Unlike previous years where we have selected the Triathlon NSW / ACT No 1. team across Youth, Junior and U23, this season we will be selecting an honorary team with plenty of benefits flowing towards the selected athletes.

The selection and appeals policy have been endorsed by both the Triathlon NSW and Triathlon ACT Boards. Both documents are now available for athletes, coaches and parents: Triathlon NSW Development Pathway.

An anticipated 150 athletes will converge on Gosling Creek including a strong contingent from all Regional Academy of Sport triathlon partners and the recently formed Triathlon ACT Talent Academy (TACTTA), along with the Rest of State Talent Academy (ROSTA), TNSW / TACT U23 and Emerging talent Squads.

Sunday 27th November will see the Individual TNSW / TACT Super Sprint Championships, with athletes accumulated times from the aquathlon and the Super Sprint Heat placing them into a final. The Super Sprint Finals are sure to be highly competitive with awards placings coming from the finals.

This is a double points round and Round 4 of the Billigence Pathway Championship Series and we’ve heard rumours that professional athlete and commentator Nathan Breen will be back on the microphone once again building excitement and atmosphere!

The event has grown over the years and this year will feature two (2) Technical Officials who are there to ensure the safety of all events and enforce rules, along with the addition of a Penalty Box that athletes will see and need to be familiar with in higher level competition.

Triathlon NSW Coach Education And Pathway Lead Robyn Low Hart stated ‘The purpose of the Billigence Series is to give athletes experience racing in the draft legal format. The course in Orange has tight turns, close pack riding and the idea is to replicate the type of racing athletes will face if they make it to the Olympic Games. It’s not about who wins or loses, it’s about learning, improving and being the best you can be’.

Despite the fact that there will be some fast and fierce racing around the newly refurbished internal cycling track at Gosling Creek, we remind athletes of the expectation to compete in the spirit of good sportsmanship, and exercise high standards of race etiquette. Behave at all times with respect, familiarise yourself with the course, and follow the instructions given to you by Technical Officials, Race Officials & Marshalls.

Our thanks go to OCTC, in particular Dave Hunter, Steve Martin and the wonderful volunteers from the local club for supporting and delivering such an awesome race weekend for our junior pathway athletes. 

For more information, please contact Robyn Low Hart (development@nsw.triathlon.org.au | 0408 651 877).